20 miles and out of water

Well I hit a new milestone this weekend. I ran 20 miles in my training for the marathon. It has been a great journey so far and I have learned a lot about my body, and what it is capable of doing.

One of the things I have to do on long runs, is to plan where I place my water bottles and gels. It is imperative that you are properly hydrated along the way. So I jumped in my jeep and strategically dropped water along the road, where I was running. I have run this route many times before, and have figured out some good drop off points.

At about mile 16, I was completely out of water, and I began to realize that I was in trouble. I was on a dirt road in the middle of the country, without any fresh water. It is amazing the quick illogical thoughts, that come racing out of your mind, as your body begins to dehydrate. Empty bottles from previous runs became open game, if I could find them, even if they had insects in them. Water running into Turkey Creek seemed like a good option. Clear plastic bottles with any substance seemed possible. Dew off the cow in the field was a fleeting thought.

When a man is thirsty a yellow substance in a pop bottle almost seemed possible, almost is the key here, even a dehydrated man has limits.

Well I continued to run, thinking if I ran faster I would get home quicker. Well that logic was futile. I then made a decision that the first human being I saw outside, I would run up to and beg for water. Well, I found myself in the driveway of a home foreign to me,and standing at a garage door, and pleading my case. A sweet lady came to my rescue, with ice cold water. The irony in this blessing, was unbelievable, you see this lady was a Gracie, and I had baptized her on a Sunday morning this past year.

The really amazing part was the fact that, this baptism, was a spontaneous invitation given by me at the end of a service. Some 35 people were baptized in their church clothes that morning spontaneously, along with 40 other scheduled baptisms. I refreshed her unexpectedly with water that morning, and she returned the favor to me.

Oh yeah I did finish the run in about 3 hours, and I will definitely have plenty of water to drink along the marathon route, in two weeks.

Proverbs 25:25 Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.